Youth Ministry Risk Management

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Youth Ministry Risk Management
CMI Christian Ministries Insurance Risk
Management a Division of LaPorte
Associates 5515 SE Milwaukie Ave. Portland Oregon
97202. 503-239-4116
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• Course Outline
• Introduction of topic and CMI
• Why insurance is important
• What insurance covers
• Risk vs. reward how safe is your ministry?
• Five keys to protecting yourself your ministry
• Case studies- what went wrong..what could have
  been done..

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Introduction of topic and CMI People sin..we
all make poor decisions..accidents happen, even
in the best of situations. God protects us
and our ministrybut God allows events and
nature in many cases to be carried out to their
natural conclusions.. CMI is a consulting
firm formed with the specific purpose of helping
ministries to understand risk and provide tools
that protects your ministry. Scott and Bob have
over 45 years of combined experience in
insurance and consulting. This includes
non-profit, churches, and for-profit corporations
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Stay out of the Headlines
Youth Pastor Get 135 Years For Sex Cases
Youth Pastor Charged in Dodge Ball Rage Assault
Teens Injured in Van Rollover
Church sued for 2 million over dramatic youth
service
Youth pastor resigns over misuse of funds
Girls drowns on youth outing
Former youth pastor faces molestation trial
Pastor Fired Over Sexual Exploitation
Charges First Assembly Of God Church Fires
Reverend
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What Are The Consequences?
People injured Claims paid Church resources
used Time expense People question
ministry People leave Youth pastors loose
jobs Ministry hurt Church receives bad
publicity Fewer people come to know Him or grow
in Him
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What Insurance Covers
THE BIG FOUR

• What Each of These is Intended to Cover
• Directors Officers
• Sexual Acts
• Employment
• Pastors Professional

Insurance does not cover intentional acts of
stupidly
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Risk vs. Reward How Safe is Your Ministry?

• Top Ten Safety Sins (Crabtree)
• Not enough staff
• Too many kids in one vehicle
• Safety is not part of the plan
• No emergency planning
• Students driving
• Lack of first aid training
• Inadequate paperwork (release forms, background
  checks, etc)
• Dangerous activities
• Lack of supervision
• No accountability team

DONT EVER SAY, IT CANT HAPPEN T TO ME
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Risk vs. Reward How Safe is Your Ministry?

• Top Ten Safety Sins (Crabtree)
• Not enough staff
• Too many kids in one vehicle
• Safety is not part of the plan
• No emergency planning
• Students driving
• Lack of first aid training
• Inadequate paperwork
• Dangerous activities
• Lack of supervision
• No accountability team

• C M I Seven Deadly Sins
• Sexual misconduct
• Fallen leadership
• Misappropriation of funds
• Wrongful termination
• Mission trip mishaps
• Fire at the church
• Construction pit falls

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Risk vs. Reward How Safe is Your Ministry?

• Things That DO GO Wrong
• Injuries to students
• Abuse
• Interns dating students
• Students with special needs
• Students driving students
• Lack of training
• No safety in mind
• Havent thought through what might happen

LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES
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Risk vs. Reward How Safe is Your Ministry?
Event Safety Review
Activity Potential Issues Recommended Action
White water Rafting Lack of water knowledge Injury or death Always hire an experience, licensed river guide. Never use a church member who has a raft. Get certificate of insurance from guide and release forms from students.
Rock Climbing Ability of climbers, preparation, and knowledge of area Have releases signed, complete training prior to event, have experienced individuals teamed up with less experienced.
Boating Activity Over crowding of boats, driver ability, crowed waters Have enough boats, dont over crowd boats, use life vents always. Never drag kids in inner tubs in crowded rivers or lakes, and have release forms. Make sure owners of boats have liability insurance.
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Risk vs. Reward How Safe is Your Ministry?
How to Evaluate Your Ministry
Simple checklist
Good staff to student ratio Have facilities been reviewed or inspected Equipment in good working order All forms and releases on file First aid kits up to date No student drivers Insurance info on file from event or company You staff have thought through what might go wrong
Event
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Risk vs. Reward How Safe is Your Ministry?

• Why People Sue
• You did not meet the standard of care
• Lack of communication
• Hazardous activity
• Covering up- perception
• Young leadership
• Improper use of equipment
• Injured party does not have any medical
  insurance
• People think they can get a big settlement

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Risk vs. Reward How Safe is Your Ministry?

• Release Forms and Agreements
• What these forms do for you
• Provides the best possible care
• Show you are doing the prudent thing
• Helps communicate with parents
• Identifies activities
• Leads to parents questions
• Gives directions
• Provides defense

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Risk vs. Reward How Safe is Your Ministry?
Sample Letter and Form
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Risk vs. Reward How Safe is Your Ministry?

• Release Forms and Agreements Kinds
• Specific event release
• Completed for each event
• Requires lots of paperwork and file mgt
• Single release for all events
• Completed annually
• Just one doc on file
• Does not always anticipate new activities

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Risk vs. Reward How Safe is Your Ministry?

• An Effective Training Program Components
• First aid training (red Cross) CPR
• General orientation to ministry
• Review of church constitution and bylaws
• Review of CE/youth policies procedures
• Review of sexual abuse harassment policy
• Training on abuse recognition
• Safe driver training
• Vehicle inspection
• Activity planning training
• How to respond to borderline kids
• Training on staff behavior standards

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Five Keys to Protecting Yourself Your Ministry

• Establish an Oversight Team
• Why?
• Keeps you on track
• Provides support evaluation
• Gives you a second/third set of eyes
• Builds a team for future
• Who?
• Four to six people
• Good mix of ages, no one under 25 or over 60
• Parents ok

WE ALSO RECOMMEND YOU HAVE ONE ACCOUNTABILITY
PARTNER. PURCHASE A COVENANT EYES PROGRAM WITH A
FRIEND
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Five Keys to Protecting Yourself Your Ministry

• Keep Written Records
• Policies Procedures -youth
• Volunteer/employee screening
• Supervision
• Injuries illness
• Discipline
• MVR records
• Notice of injury procedure
• Chain of command
• General safety rules
• Behavioral guidelines

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Five Keys to Protecting Yourself Your Ministry

• Communicate With Parents
• At least annually
• Have entire team involved
• Show clear goals
• Review any incidents or accidents (no names)
• Student staff behavior policy
• Parent notification procedure

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Five Keys to Protecting Yourself Your Ministry

• Review Each Activity With Safety in Mind
• Each activity needs to be reviewed annually by
  team
• Review any incidents or accidents
• Was facility adequate?
• Was camp facility safe?
• Was any training needed?
• What are three possible injuries?
• Feed back form kids or parents
• What is the condition of equipment?
• Provide summary to church board

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Five Keys to Protecting Yourself Your Ministry

• Complete Background Checks on All Volunteers
  and Staff
• Complete application
• Ask if they have any convictions of any kind
• Ask if they have any sexual abuse allegations
  or convictions
• Ask if they have had any kind of claims made
  against them for fraud
• Complete bi-annual checks, keep on file
• Do complete reference check, be specific..

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Case Studies
Case Summary Student is injured by youth pastor
at a dodge ball game. The youth pastor involved
in the activity threw the ball and hit the
student in the eye, causing injury. Outcome Youth
pastor and church were found liable for all
medical bills and pain and suffering. Total paid,
15,000 Prevention The youth pastor and all staff
need to be trained not to feel the need to win.
If there was an accountability team, this might
have been caught and discussed with the youth
pastor
If you think about it, some ideas are really
stupid
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Case Studies
Case Summary Pastor at a church in CA had been
accused of sexual abuse of students that lasted
over many years, and involved many different
individuals. He was working as a youth pastor at
the time, and was promoted to associate pastor
two years ago. The activity involved three teen
girls. Outcome The case was settled out of court
for 6.7 million Prevention
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Case Studies
Case Summary Youth volunteer resigns over alleged
sexual abuse of student in youth sports program.
Church is quick to acknowledge that youth
volunteer was never alone with any students.
Church has produced written policies and
procedures. These state that all youth workers
are to never be alone with students. They also
produced criminal background check of individual,
which was clean. Outcome No claims brought
against church Prevention The church did
everything correct completed background
checks Had written policy provided training to
all volunteers and staff communicated to parents
policy
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Case Studies
Case Summary At a church youth camp, leadership
held a late night scenario as follows Later
that night some of the staff posed as terrorists
who were there to kill the Christians. The kids
were kept in their dorm rooms, but were allowed
to look out the windows. They didn't kidnap any
kids, but they did pretend to kidnap and beat the
youth director out in front of the dorms. This
happened pre 9-11, but would have gone to trial
post 9-11. The claimant in this case was a fifth
grade girl who had witnessed her neighbor's
suicide weeks earlier and whose parents sent her
to the camp to get her mind off of
it. Outcome 40,000 out of court
settlement Prevention Dont try to be over the
top when it comes to these kinds of things. Know
your kids..Could there have been another way to
get the message across?
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Case Studies
Case Summary Church went to camp for retreat. One
of the activities was to pull students around in
a metal dish behind a snowmobile. The activity
took place in a field that was fenced, with barb
wire. The driver and employee of the camp came
too close to the fence and the student ended up
in the fence. Student had three inch cuts to the
throat, and face. Outcome Camp insurance paid
the medical bills of 5,000. No action against
the church Prevention Church had requested proper
insurance from the camp, and had all release
forms from the parents and camp on file. The
youth pastor and other leaders did not do any
evaluation of the event, which they said they
should have, and could have prevented the accident
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Case Studies
Case Summary A church and the insurer sued the
former youth pastor for actions involving a
sexual relationship he had with a student. The
church was asking for 150,000 in damages. The
youth pastor acknowledged a two year relationship
with a high school girl. The pastor later
resigned. The 150,000 was paid to the victim and
the church stated that the responsible party
should bear some if not all of the
responsibility. Outcome Settled out of court for
unknown amount Prevention A background and
reference check would have picked up previous
allegations at another church 5 years prior.
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Case Studies
Case Summary Church and former youth pastor are
sued over sexual abuse of two young boys. The
church knew the youth volunteer had a history (no
criminal record) of molestation, but allowed him
to work with youth anyway. Injured parties sued
for 500,000. Outcome Claim was settled for
250,000. Prevention The church should have had
a written policy against such a person being
allowed to be in ministry. The church said they
were a place of healing and restoration, but the
jury said they put safety above that. A better
application process, reference, and background
checks were in order.
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Case Studies
Case Summary Three students were injured in a van
roll over. The church used one 15 passenger van
to carry 15 students. In addition, they had
loaded the top of the van with over 1,500 pounds
of gear. The van rolled over while going around a
corner. The three students suffered injuries with
medical bills of over 15,000. Outcome The
insurance for the church paid the medical bill
and special damages. The reason is that the youth
pastor exceed the maximum weight limitations as
set by the manufacturer. Prevention 15 passenger
vans have the worst safety record in the history
of motor vehicle accidents. The design is poor
and combined with an over capacity problem has
caused hundreds of deaths and thousands of
injuries. Always use a passenger load of less
than recommended. Never place gear on top, use a
second van or trailer. Never store gear in the
back of a van. Never load a van higher than the
seats.
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Case Studies
Case Summary Youth group rented a skate park for
a youth fun night. The park itself was over 10
years old and was in need of repair. One of the
participants invited a non Christian who fell and
broke his leg. The cause of the injury was
determined to be the seals in the concrete. The
church was asked by the parents to pay the
medical bills. What the church found out was the
skate park did not have any insurance. The
churches insurance also excluded the
claim. Outcome The church paid the bills 3,000
out of its own pocket. Prevention There was no
parent permission slip signed and no agreement
with the skate park. The youth pastor did no prep
work in advance of the event. The student never
came back to the church.
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Case Studies
Case Summary A 16 year old student needed a ride
home from youth group. The student said her
parents gave her permission to go home with a 20
year old friend and youth volunteer. The youth
pastor gave the ok. The 18 yr old and 16 yr old
were in an accident. The parents never gave any
permission for their daughter to be in another
vehicle. The church had a permission slip on file
that confirmed this. Outcome The church
insurance paid 4,700 in medical
bills. Prevention The youth program suffered
credibility, and the family left the church Make
sure you have proper documents and you follow
them.
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• Portions of this material were provided by
• Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Co.
• Guide One
• Church Mutual
• Better Safe Than Sued by Jack Crabtree
• Church Busienss.com

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• Scott Stuart
• Partner
• Robert H Lilly
• Managing Partner
• 5515 Se Milwaukie Ave Portland Oregon
• blilly_at_laporte-insurance.com
• sstuart_at_laporte-insurance.com
• 503.239.4116
• cmirisk.com
• www.laporte-insurance.com